Recognizing a powerful need for deeper understanding and compassion in the Church’s response to immigrants, Liam Barr created Immigration and Faith: A Video Curriculum, a four-part series designed to equip church communities with tools to approach immigration through the lens of Jesus’ teachings on hospitality, love, and justice. With support from the Episcopal Evangelism Society, Liam—a recent graduate in Latinx ministry at Seminary of the Southwest—combined his training and hands-on experience at Casa Marianella, an immigrant shelter in Austin, Texas, to develop a resource that promotes empathy, reconciliation, and a commitment to “welcome the stranger” as an integral part of evangelism.
Immigration and Faith consists of four video sessions that blend immigrant testimonies with scripture, faith reflections, and calls to action. In each session, three immigrants—Baldomero, Mary, and Tekle—share their stories of resilience and faith, offering firsthand insight into the challenges and hopes that have shaped their journeys. Their stories invite participants to see Jesus in the lives of those who have been marginalized, and to consider how community, family, and belief in God have provided strength and guidance. Each video includes a scripture reading that grounds the conversation in biblical principles, inviting participants to reflect on how God calls them to respond with love and solidarity.
The curriculum is organized around four themes—Welcome, Understanding, Solidarity, and Kinship—each highlighting a different aspect of Christian hospitality and community. These themes encourage participants to go beyond passive empathy, urging them to build relationships and take practical steps toward supporting immigrants in their communities. This structure calls the Church to see immigration not only as a social issue but as a profound opportunity for evangelism through the message of Jesus, fostering a faith-based response that aligns with God’s vision of justice and reconciliation.
Through Immigration and Faith, Liam Barr seeks to inspire a shift in the Church’s approach to immigrant communities, inviting non-immigrants to view these encounters as sacred opportunities to practice Christ-like love. By presenting stories of faith and resilience within a theological framework, this curriculum bridges cultural divides and challenges participants to see the Church as a place where everyone is welcomed and valued as part of God’s family. In doing so, the project not only educates but also empowers individuals to act as partners in God’s mission of reconciliation and to embody the Good News in their relationships with immigrant neighbors.
The full curriculum can be found here: https://sacredhospitalitycurriculum.org/
